Japanese Southern Islands; Serenity and Spirituality

I just completed a cruise through the Japanese Southern Islands from Tokyo to Ishigaki. The experience was filled with the majestic wonder of nature, the serenity of the mountains and waterfalls, and the spirituality of caves, shrines, and temples. (Not to mention a heck of a lot of delicious food.)

The first Southern Island in my journey was Kagoshima, where I began my adventure by exploring Sengan-en Garden—a UNESCO site. While in the garden, I toured the Shimadzu residence, a traditional Samurai home with Japanese architecture built in 1658. The tatami mats were preserved with gorgeous detail. I learned that rice was placed under the mats in the room where the Samurai slept. It created a cushion under his futon. His bath water was heated and then brought into the large tub in his bathroom. The volcanic view from the garden was breathtaking. On the grounds, I sampled their award-winning Birouen shop Sencha green tea. It was one of the best I’ve tried. It can be purchased at this link :

https://shop.nijiya.com/products/birouen-kagoshima-cha?srsltid=AfmBOorO7bfY-e5Wud7tyfa6INgq3zZuxpBJHTGJFlqUWTn0Nu98ftSa

For lunch in Kagoshima, we decided to go on a soba noodle hunt to find the most delicious local spot. London did extensive research, and we ended up at a yummy hole-in-the-wall located in a glass-covered mall. The mall was covered because of the volcanic ash that regularly rains down on the city. London was also on a mission to purchase matcha-flavored Kit Kats. We learned from our guide that they are pronounced “kit-o-kat-o,” representing and sounding like the Japanese word for success. (Note: we only found them on the very last day of our trip in Yokohama!)

Amami was our next stop, an island rich in lush, biodiverse landscapes that provide their own natural sights. I began my day at Oshima Tsumugi-mura village, where I discovered the art and manufacturing of “Oshima Tsumugi,” a silk fabric that is one of Japan’s most sought-after luxury products. This tradition can be traced back more than 1,300 years and holds a long, rich history in Japanese culture. This incredibly detailed work begins with white silk thread. It incorporates the traditional practice of mud-dyeing. This method creates dark and highly detailed, unique work. It was quite a kick to see a man wading in a mud pool, soaking fabric.

Next stop was the Amami Nature Observation Forest, which offers visitors a unique opportunity to see animals, plants, and birds, some of which are only found on Amami Island. Our specialized guide took us on an enchanting exploration of the lush forest along beautiful paths, and he pointed out the local flora and fauna. After climbing a long, steep incline, we got to take in the magnificent ocean views from the observatory. It was a bit frightening to hear about the poisonous snakes abundant on the trail. I was in tennis shoes and Scott was in sandals, but the guide had giant rubber boots on up to his knees. I would have liked an advanced heads-up on the attire!

Lastly, we continued to the Amami Oshima Distillery, where we received a guided tour and witnessed the intricate steps of the Shochu production process. We sampled their award-winning liquor, but in my opinion, it resembled moonshine! We concluded our tour with a lunch at Amami-Basayama on the beach with locally sourced ingredients, including Keihan (a delicious rice soup concoction), seaweed salad, sashimi, and pork intestines (I skipped this).

The famous island of Okinawa was our next destination. They have their own customs, culture, music, and spoken dialect. Okinawa is sometimes called the “Hawaii of Japan.” The meditative beauty of Okinawa’s lush scenery, tropical sea breezes, wondrous rock formations, and ocean views over sandy beaches and palm trees won me over from the moment I arrived. My favorite adventure was hiking through the Gangala Valley. We entered through a cave that doubled as a meeting place and café. Continuing with our nature guide, she pointed out the striking rock formations, dramatic plants, and unusual trees that can be seen at every turn. The rustic beauty of this unusual forested park is unrivaled. The Ufushu Gajimaru banyan tree, estimated to be more than 150 years old, was a photo-op in the making. Its roots have created large ‘pillars’ that once delineated a sheltered place for prayer and communal gathering. We saw the resting place of early cave dwellers in their archaeological dig sites. We also saw the “man cave,” which was called that because of the particular stalagmite formation. Our guide ended the day by delightfully singing us a traditional Okinawa song.

After that, we visited the most sacred site in Okinawa, Seifa Utaki. It is an outdoor Shinto shrine and a place of natural wonders. Ceremonial altars were created from the natural stone outcroppings, ledges, and caves on the rocky promontory overlooking the sea. Dirt and stone pathways wound through the forests and clearings. Stalactites dripped ‘holy water’ into pots once used to tell fortunes and accompany ceremonies. This has been a sacred site since the earliest period of Okinawan history, and people still come here to pray and meditate.

Our next port was Miyakojima, the island known for its famous Miyakojima hemp cloth and extensive beaches. We began on eastern Miyako Island with a photo stop at Higashi Henna Cape, which is designated as a National Historic Site/Scenic and Natural Monument. Known as one of the most breathtaking spots in all of Okinawa, I found it overrated. The lilies were blooming, and the lighthouse was lovely, but Maehama beach was nothing special.

We ventured on after a less-than-ideal bathroom stop at a single-stall unisex room with a hole-in-the-ground toilet. Our next adventure was aboard a semi-submersible vessel, the Sea-Sky Hakuai, to observe the island’s underwater world. The seawater was clear, and the wildlife abundant. I saw coral reefs and multiple schools of fish. When the crew started feeding the fish from the upper deck, it was quite the frenzy!

We concluded our day by stopping at the Miyakojima City Traditional Crafts Center, where we learned about their traditional high-quality hemp cloth called Miyakojima jofu. The factory was quite strict. Instead of just taking off our shoes to enter, we were required to wear these little slip-on shoes that were used and yucky. As you can imagine, nothing even came close to a size 13 for Scott. He was walking on his toes in tiny shoes the whole time. And the silk was very dark and not to my liking.

Our one “beach day” was on Ishikagi, the southernmost island in the chain! We explored independently and chose Maesato Beach, next to the Intercontinental Hotel, to relax on. This was an eye-opening day as we were the only people on the beach in bathing suits. Everyone else was covered in sun-protective gear or full clothing. We enjoyed watching a lady in tights and a dress take a SUP lesson.

Heading back North and East, we journeyed to Nagasaki, the site of the 2nd atomic bomb blast in WWII. Having visited Hiroshima on a previous trip, we decided to drive 60 miles inland to learn about Mikawachi pottery, the beautiful hand-painted white and blue porcelain. We started at the Mikawachi museum to educate ourselves. Then we asked the museum director about a particular artist whose work we admired. The director called and arranged for us to visit his home/studio immediately. We loved seeing his work, purchasing our favorite items, and wandering the quaint streets in his neighborhood. After a delicious soba noodle lunch, we completed our day with a visit to the Gunkanjima Digital Museum. The only interesting thing about the museum was the dress-up section, where you could try on vintage clothing. London and I opted for the vintage schoolgirl uniforms.

Before returning to Tokyo, we made our last stop at Shimizu. At Shimizu’s Shiraito Falls, we saw pure mountain water cascading down some 65 feet, threading itself through the rocky face behind. The calming sights and sounds of this stunning landscape soothed us. We purchased fresh ripe strawberries on our hike out of the gorge. Afterwards, we visited Fujisan Hongu Sengen Taisha Shrine, located in the southwestern foothills of Mt Fuji. Originally built to protect against volcanic eruptions, the Shrine was among the grandest in its heyday in the early 1600s. However, several earthquakes damaged its structure, and today, only the inner and outer red shrines and the red tower gate remain. Climbers often stop here to rest and pray before ascending the mountain. I loved seeing a young girl in traditional Japanese attire getting her formal portrait taken at the Shrine. Also, the hopes and wishes we saw written on the Shrine wall plaques were incredibly poignant. As we left the harbor, we glimpsed our only sighting of Mt. Fuji.

Lectures aboard our cruise included the history of tea, the art of Japanese cuisine, and historical content about samurai, the Silk Road, and battles in the area. For information on Japanese cuisine, check out our lecturer’s post at https://jennifereremeeva.com/japanese-cuisine/. We also took classes onboard, including an origami lesson.

The food and entertainment onboard were always terrific. We had a blast dancing to the live music as we set sail from each port. One of the perks of the Seabourn line is that one can order free caviar whenever one’s heart desires!!

Of course, I sampled the spa and their relaxation pods. Scott found unique ways to exercise on our deck!

The trip concluded in Yokohama with success on the matcha Kit-Kat search. After two weeks of enjoying Japan, we all decided we wished we could stay longer!